Campaigners press for further refugee policy reforms
Detention on the Bibby Stockholm will cease in January 2025, as the government has announced that it will not renew the lease. Refugee charities have welcomed the news, but campaign
New safe route for Afghan families
The government has now announced a new pathway for Afghan families separated during the August 2021 evacuations to finally reunite. Safe Passage, the charity which supports unaccompanied refugee children to
Majority wants ‘safe and legal’ routes for asylum seekers
A recent survey has shown that most of the British public want to see visas allowing asylum seekers to travel safely to the UK. Polling for the British Future thinktank
Government scraps Rwanda plan but policy questions remain
The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has ended the Rwanda scheme, which she has condemned as ‘a gimmick’. Instead, she has launched a new border security group which will probe the
Labour’s plans for asylum seekers
Shadow minister Peter Kyle has told BBC’s World at One that a Labour government would fund more case workers to process the asylum claims of the 118,000 refugees who are
Asylum backlog continues
The Guardian has questioned Rishi Sunak’s claim to have cleared the asylum backlog by the end of 2023. The latest figures show that appeals against refusals of asylum claims raise
Lobbying your candidate on refugee rights
Safe Passage has produced a very useful and concise guide to asking your candidate about refugee rights. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c2531f131d4dfb9bfbd68af/t/66740642251fd66469de77c6/1718879816576/GE2024+-+A+guide+to+lobbying+your+candidate+on+refugee+rights+%282%29.pdf
Child refugees using people smugglers to reach family in UK
Charities, including Safe Passage International, have produced a report showing that unaccompanied child refugees are forced to use people smugglers to reach family members in the UK, crossing in small
Labour’s refugee plans don’t include safe routes
Keir Starmer’s refugee policy aims to beef up border security by ensuring direct access for top officials to the home secretary. Labour would scrap the Rwanda scheme, and use the
Looking for practical help?
For further information and support, try these websites:
Safe Passage is concerned with refugee and asylum-seeking children:
The Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network:
There are also many local groups and councils offering specific support to hosts of Ukranians and other refugees.
In Bournemouth, for instance, the International Care Network supports refugees and asylum seekers in the Bournemouth/Poole area, including language classes and ‘befriending’ schemes.
In north-west London, Families4Peace is offering support to Ukranian refugees and their hosts.
About me
I am a writer and former journalist who volunteers with a refugee charity.
I am convinced that, as a country, we need to welcome refugees. My inspiration comes from my godmother, Trudi Eulenburg, who was granted shelter in the UK from Nazi Germany as a teenager in 1939.